Quick-break switch



Aug, 21, 1923.

C. H. BISSELL ET AL QUICK BREAK SWITCH Filed Aug. 17 19 l7 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 21, 1923. 1,465,412

c. H. BISSELL ET AL QUICK BREAK SWITCH Filed Aug. 17, 1917 2 Sheets$heet2 A TTOR/VEYS.

Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

UNITED STATES CARL H. BISSELL AND RALPH E. JONES, OF SYRACUSE,

CROUSE-HINDS COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK,

YORK.

NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO A CORPORATION OF NEW QUICK-BREAK SWITCH.

Application filed August 17, 1917. Serial No. 186,716.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL H. BISSELL and RALPH E. JoNns, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Quick-BreakSwitch, of which the followin is a specification.

his invention has for its object a quick break switch which isparticularly simple in construction and highly eflicient and durable inuse, and it consists in the novel features and constructions hereinafterset forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate parts in all the views.Figure 1 is an elevation of a switch embodyin our invention, thecontiguous portion 0 a panel board base on which the Switch is mounted,and the top plate of the switch being also shown, the top plate beingshown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the switch, parts being omitted, theswitch member bein shown in its open position.

%igure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4,

Fi l.

This switch comprises generally, a movable switch member, means tendingto move the switch member to its open position, and

operating mechanism including parts movable into locking position as theswitch member approaches its closed position, and an operating move saidparts out of their unlocked position whereby the first mentioned meansaffects a quick opening of the switch.

The switch member here shown is of the laminated type comprising asupport as a rod 1, laminated bars 2 extending crosswise of the rod 1and mounted upon a carrier 3, which is pivotally mounted on the rod andalso a contact member 4 in the form of a leaf spring overlying the bars2 and having its ends arranged to engage the switch contacts 5 off thepanel board 6 and to be tensioned as the switch member approaches itsclosed position, and before the laminated bars firmly engage thecontacts. The contacts 5 are formed with converging faces 5 and thelaminated bars 2 are bevelled at corresponding member acting tonormally! their ends to conform to the inclined faces 5". The springleaf 7 at its ends which rest upon the horizontal top faces 8 of thecontacts 5, the blocks engaging said faces 8 before the laminated parts2 are compressed against the inclined faces 5 and hence the leaf isunder tension and tends to move the switch member to its open position.The leaf 4 acts as an auxiliary contact to make contact before the1aminated bars of the switch member and also to break contact after thelaminated bars, thus protecting said bars from burning through arcing.The laminated bars are shown in Fig. 1 as straight although in realitythey are slightl curved when the switch mem r is closed. he switch is ofthe multiple type for a three-wire system and there are three sets oflaminated bars 2 mounted on the rod 1.

Each carrier 3 is in the form of an inverted U-shaped clip or yokethrough which the rod 1 extends, the yoke being mounted upon a sleeve. 9of insulation encircling the rod. The yokes are capable of a slightrocking movement and are limited in their rocking movement by radiallyextending shoulders or pins 9 extending through the sleeves ofinsulation and into sockets in the rod and also extending into socketsor openings in the intermediate portion of the yoke. The pins 9 looselyfit the last mentioned openings so that the yoke is capable of a slightrocking movement. The laminated bars and the spring leaves 4 are securedbetween their ends to theyokes 3 'by screws 10.

The rod '1 extends through slots 11 formed in uprights or standards 12rising from the base 6 and has a guiding block 13 fixed thereon whichmoves along one of said standards in order to hold the rod from turning.The uprights or standards 12 are the legs of an inverted U-shaped framemember, the ends of which have outturned feet for securement to the base6 and the intermediate part of which extends in a horizontal positionand carries the face plate 15 of the switch.

The mechanism for operating the switch member is movable into a lockingposition when the switch member is closed, and includes a pair of togglelinks 16, 17, one of which, as 16, is pivoted at its outer end to afixed point as a shaft 18 supported by the parts 12 near the upper endsthereof beneath 4 is thickened or has blocks the face plate 15, and theother of which, as 17, is pivoted at its outer or lower end on the rod1.

The joint or pivot 19 connecting the links. is movable into the deadcenter line of the toggle, that is, a strai ht line passing through theaxes of the aft 18 and the rod 1, and suitable locking means is providedfor stopping themovement of the links when the joint 19 has passed intoor slightly beyond the dead center line when the switch is in its closedposition.

As here shown, this stop is an extension 17 provided on one of the linksas the lower link 17 and projecting beyond the joint 19 into position toengage the edge of the link 16 when the joint of the toggle has passedinto or slightly beyond a dead center line. There are two pairs oftoggle links 16, 17 located on the outer sides of the uprights 12. Theoperating member comprises a handle or lever 20 movable back and forthand connected to the toggle by a lost motion connection. As here shown,said connection consists of a single shoulder on one of the coactingparts that is, the handle lever or the toggle, and a pair of spacedapart shoulders on the other of said parts, said pair of shoulders beingspaced apart a distance nearly equal to the throw of the sin 1eshoulder.

l ii the illustrated form of our invention, the handle lever 20 ispivoted between its ends on an axis concentric with that of the links 16and is formed with a quadrant 21 below its axis having spaced apartshoulders 22, 23 which coact with a shoulder 24 as an extension 24 ofthe joint 19 of the toggle. The lever is double or in the form of a yokehaving lever arms mounted on opposite ends of the shaft 18.

A spring or springs 25 are utilized for holding the switch member in itsopen position and the handle in either of its positions assumed when theswitch is open or closed, and for sup lementing action of the springleaves 4. aid springs 25 as here shown extend lengthwise of the togglesand are so connected that they move in a direction crosswise of thecenter line of the tog le from either side to the other, by the handlelever in position to tend either to hold the toggle in its lockedposition, or to hold the toggle in its folded position when the switchis open. As 'here shown, the springs 25 are connected at their lowerends to the rod 1 and at their upper ends to shoulders 26 on the handlelever below the axis thereof and at one side of the lengthwise plane ofthe handle lever midway between the shoulders 22, 23.

In operation, when the switch member is closed as illustrated in Fig. 1,the shoulders 22 are spaced apart from the toggle joints 19' and thesprings 25 are at one side of the dead center line of the tzggle andtend to hold the toggle in its lock position. During the movement of thehandle to the left, Fig. 1 the shoulders 23 are moved away from theshoulder 24 at the joints of the toggles additionally tensioning thesprings 25 until the shoul ers 22 engage the shoulders 24 at the togglejoints so that a slight additional movement of the handle lever movesthe toggle joints 19 out of the dead center lines and the spring leaves4 and the springs 25 retract and move the switch mem beer to its openposition. Either the spring leaves 4 or the springs 25 are sufiicient tomove the switch member to its open position, but the springs 25 hold theswitch member in said open plosition but in case a difi'erent type ofswitc member is employed as one having no resilienc the springs 25 willalone perform the unction of opening the switch member.

When the switch member is in its open position, the toggles areretracted and the joints 19 thereof are engaged with the shoulders 23 sothat during movement of the switch handle to the right into the positionshown in Fig. 1, the shoulders 23 move against the toggle joints movingthe switch member to its closed position and the last part of themovement of the handle lever to the right moves the toggle joints intoor beyond the dead center lines of the to gles so that the switch islocked in its 0%osed position.

What we claim is:

1. A switch comprising a support, a rec tilinearly movable switchmember, an operating member pivoted to the support, a toggle includinglinks pivoted together and connected at their opposite ends to theswitch member and to the support concentric with the operating member,and a spring tending to open the switch and fold the toggle, theoperating member coacting with the toggle to move the same out of itsextended position and permit the spring to complete the folding of thetoggle, the spring being connected to the switch member and to theoperating member at a point at one side of the axis of the operatingmember whereby the end of the spring connected to the operating membershifts during the movement of the operating member, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. -A switch comprising a switch member including a shaft and contactsmounted between their ends on the shaft and extending to opposite sidesof the shaft, and means for moving the shaft in a direction at a rightangle to its axis and thereby moving the contacts rectilinearly into andout of operative position, said means comprising a pivoted operatingmember, a toggle consisting of links pivoted together at like ends andhaving their other ends connected respectively to the shaft and to apoint concentric witlf the axis of the operatingvmember, the oper-.ating member coacting with the toggle to move the same into and out ofthe center line of the toggle, and a spring connected at one end to theshaft and at its other end to the operating member at one side of theaxis' i tween their ends on the shaft and extending to opposite sides ofthe shaft, and means for moving the shaft in a direction at a rightangle to its axis and thereby m ving the contacts rectilinear-1y intoand out of operative position, said means comprising a pivotedope-rating member, a, toggle consisting of links pivoted togetherat'like ends and having their-other ends connected respectively to theshaft and to a point concentric with the axis of the operating member,the operating member coactin with the toggle to move the same and havingspaced apart shoulders on opposite sides of the joint of the toggle andmovable into and out of engagement with said joint, and a springextending lengthwise of the toggle and connected at one end to the shaftand at its other end to the operating member at a point at one side ofthe axis of said member, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names at Syracuse, inthe county of Onondaga and State of New York, this 15th day of June,1917.

CARL H. BISSELL.

RALPH E. JONES.

